Fake Online Reviews Cost 19 Companies $350,000

When people read online reviews of a business, it's often difficult to figure out which reviews are legitimate and which aren't much more than a paid advertisement placed by either the company itself, or someone who got some type of kickback for writing a positive review, such as a gift certificates or free merchandise. Some companies are being proactive and deleting or marking reviews they suspect to be fake, such as Yelp with their Consumer Alerts . The FTC already considers fake reviews illegal . New York is going further. Regulators today announced their crackdown on illegal reviews, and have reached agreements with 19 different companies who will stop posting and soliciting fake reviews as well as pay $350,000 in penalties. The crackdown targeted both companies who purchased the fake reviews, as well as the companies who are creating the fake reviews. A total of seven...